Gear Review: Vargo TiFusion Slag Short Sleeve

In an effort to get the biggest impact in the shortest time period I put the Vargo TiFusion Slag short sleeve through the ringer.  Not like old school wash ringer.  Ringer as in a smoke ring.  Hickory smoke ring to be more precise.  I work part time helping two friends sell barbeque through their catering business.  Two things happen working for them.  First, you sweat your ever loving ass off standing next to a gigantic smoker trailer all day.  It’s like a sauna with no walls and plenty of food.  Second; your clothing, your hair, your beard and even your sunglasses smell of hickory smoke, forever.  Your soul is also possibly permanently soaked in the aroma of hickory smoke.  You also immediately become more macho and women will find you more desirable and men will admire your excessive masculinity.

Circumstances of the Review:

As I stated previously I wore this shirt while standing beside a hickory smoke factory for days, under my black cotton work shirt.  It was drenched in sweat daily.  I also wore it hiking and fishing as well during the summer months in PA.  I put A LOT of sweat into this shirt.  I also decided to wear it during some recent serious mountain bushwhacking in central PA in late November.  It has weeks of sweat and smoke soaked adventure in it.

Details:

More breathing and stretch than a yoga class. The Slag is your all-purpose shirt. Four-way stretch mesh panels provide comfortable breathability on mile 10 and beyond. Increased range of motion to get from up dog to down dog without missing a beat. Elongated hem keeps your assets covered. Sleek design and trim fit for greater style than standard boxy cut shirts.

Features:

• Infused with titanium based TiFusion™
• Midweight, wicking synthetic material
• Trim fit with elongated hem for added coverage
• Venting stretch panels for enhanced breathability and range of motion
• Shaped back neck collar for increased comfort
• Flatlock stitching to prevent chafing
• Reflective printing for increased visibility at night

Specs:

• 100% Polyester Fabric
• 5.8 oz average weight

The Pros:

After 1 wash the shirt lost all hickory smoke and man stink odors were gone.  I can’t even do that with my beard let alone an article of clothing.  Which is has to be as a result of some magic voodoo.  I wore it several(undisclosed to save face with my bosses) times to work without washing it at all.  As well as hiking and being covered in sweat through the summer.  I have only washed it two times and it smells perfectly fine.  The other great thing about this shirt is it really does wick the moisture off your skin from sweating really quickly.  I would be sweating while working or hiking but at the end of the day I was still surprisingly dry.  Hooray for moisture wicking clothing!

The Cons:

The only thing about this shirt that isn’t completely awesome is the fit.  I’m 5’9″ about 150 with a slim build.  For reference I wore a medium but a large would have probably provided a more comfortable fit.  The sizing runs very slim and long.  They did warn me to size up because they run slim.  A larger person might  run into the issue with the shirt being so long to fit their shoulder or heavily insulated 6 pack abs.  Make sure you size up when you order!  Problem solved.

Value:

Comparing this shirt to other similar wicking shirts the value definitely falls in Vargos’ favor.  I would personally compare this shirt to a merino wool style shirt because of its wicking properties as well as the ability to stay off odors.  It doesn’t offer the same insulating property as merino but it also costs at least $30 less than a quality wool t shirt for $50.  That’s a big win for the wallet!

 

Disclosure: this product was donated for the purpose of review